All about the time David Lynch passed on directing Star Wars

Academy Award nominee David Lynch is known for helming experimental films such as Mulholland Drive (2001), Blue Velvet (1986), and his all-time classic Eraserhead (1977), but once upon a time, he had the opportunity to direct a film from one of the biggest blockbuster franchises in history. Truly, I can’t imagine what a Star Wars movie would even look like from Lynch, and it seems the acclaimed filmmaker felt the same way when approached back in the 1980s.

After directing the debut Star Wars film which was released in 1977, George Lucas looked elsewhere for the next two installments, turning to Irvin Kershner to make The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Richard Marquand for Return of the Jedi (1983). But before landing on Marquand, Lucas took a meeting with Lynch, where he offered him the directing job.

Why did David Lynch turn down Star Wars?

As reported by /Film, the Twin Peaks showrunner recalled the meeting in his 1993 book, Lynch on Lynch, writing:

"“I went to meet George Lucas, who had offered me the third Star Wars to direct, and I’ve never even really liked science fiction. I like elements of it, but it needs to be combined with other genres. And, obviously, Star Wars was totally George’s thing.”"

Lynch also opened up about the experience years later, explaining that while he didn’t have an interest in directing a Star Wars movie, he did “admire” Lucas, so he agreed to go meet with him. In the amusing video below, the Lost Highway director recalls Lucas explaining to him what Wookies were before they headed to a restaurant that apparently only sold salads. Seemingly panicking, Lynch got a migraine and decided he’d have to turn Return of the Jedi down.

Funny enough, Lynch also reveals in the video above that when he told his lawyer he’d be skipping out on Star Wars, he was told he’d be missing out on a lot of money. This, of course, was true. However, with all the beloved titles under Lynch’s belt, I think he’s doing quite alright financially. The director even has a show for Netflix coming up, which is currently being kept under pretty tight wraps.

As for George Lucas, it probably worked out in his favor that David Lynch turned down the film. Return of the Jedi remains one of the most popular Star Wars movies, and might not have been such a big box office success if it had that distinct Lynchian touch. Lynch’s target audience is certainly different from that of Star Wars.